Delhi Police have added a charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the case involving the collapse of a building in northeast Delhi’s Harsh Vihar that killed a father and his son, following allegations that a delay in alerting emergency services hindered the rescue operation.
Deputy commissioner of police (northeast) Rahool Alwal told Hindustan Times that Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) had been added to the first information report (FIR). The case had initially included charges relating to causing death by negligence.
The building’s owner, Manoj Kumar, has been arrested, while the main contractor responsible for the construction is absconding. Police are investigating the roles of both men, including whether negligence during construction contributed to the collapse and the deaths.
Owner arrested as contractor remains on the run
The building collapsed at around 5.45pm on Sunday at Milan Garden on Sewa Dham Road, an unauthorised colony in Harsh Vihar. The owner’s son, Khushwinder Kumar, made the first police control room (PCR) call at 6.46pm, approximately an hour after the incident.
According to allegations made by witnesses and the victims’ family, the building’s gate was locked after the collapse, and people who gathered at the site were told that nobody was trapped inside. The owner allegedly locked the gate and fled.
Residents said they did not call the police, while the victims’ family alleged that the delay in informing the authorities and beginning rescue work cost the two men their lives.
The father and son were eventually pulled out from beneath the debris during a rescue operation that continued overnight into Monday morning. They were taken to Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, where doctors declared them dead on arrival.
The deceased were identified as Chanderpal, 60, and his son Vijay Kumar, 33, who lived in Gali No. 14 in Harsh Vihar. The two had been engaged in shuttering work at the building and were feared trapped when the structure came crashing down.
Witnesses allege rescue operation began hours later
Pramod Sharma, who runs a restaurant opposite the building, said the collapse occurred while he was cooking at his shop. He recalled that Chanderpal had visited the restaurant earlier that afternoon before returning to the construction site.
“Chanderpal ate at my shop around 1.30pm and went to the site. Around 4.30-4.45pm, the building collapsed. The police only came there about two hours later, and the rescue operation started after 9pm when the NDRF arrived,” Sharma said.
Another resident, Bhola, 38, alleged that the owner or someone known to him locked the gate after the collapse. When residents gathered outside and asked whether anyone was trapped inside, the man said there was nobody, he claimed.
“No one even entered the premises because it was locked. Also, the pieces of concrete were extremely heavy. No one could have lifted them,” Bhola said.
The allegations about the locked gate and the delay in the rescue operation have become a central part of the investigation into the deaths.
Victim’s wife alleges delay cost father and son their lives
Vijay’s wife, Anita, said the family learnt about the collapse at around 6pm through an acquaintance who lived in Milan Garden. Their 19-year-old son, Yash, subsequently received a call from a friend who had heard about the incident, prompting Anita to rush to the site.
She said she tried calling both her husband and father-in-law, but their phones were switched off.
“Locals told us that the owner had locked the gate and fled. He also told everyone that no one was trapped. It was because of him that my husband and father-in-law could not be rescued. This is not an accident, it’s a murder,” she alleged.
Anita said she also called the police after reaching the spot, although she could not recall the exact time of the call. She alleged that rescue work did not begin until around 9pm, when an earthmover arrived.
The family has alleged that the delay in reaching the trapped men prevented them from being rescued in time. Police have added the culpable homicide charge as the investigation continues.
Preliminary inspection points to weak ground-floor structure
A preliminary inspection indicated that the building’s ground floor was an old structure reportedly used as a godown, while the first floor was under construction. Both portions collapsed, an officer said.
Another officer familiar with the investigation said the ground-floor structure was weak and lacked a beam, raising questions about its ability to withstand the additional load from the construction above it.
“The ground-floor structure was very weak and did not have any beam. The inquiry revealed that the construction work had been underway for over a month. The lintel being installed was heavy, and the ground-floor structure could not take the load,” the officer said.
Investigators are examining whether the condition of the existing structure, the weight of the lintel and the construction work contributed to the collapse. They are also probing the respective responsibilities of the building owner and the contractor.
The search for the absconding contractor is underway, while police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collapse, the alleged delay in alerting emergency services and the rescue operation.
The deaths have renewed concerns over structural safety, unauthorised construction and the enforcement of building regulations in the Capital, where a series of fatal building collapses in recent months has drawn attention to the risks posed by unsafe structures.